The disclosures herein relate generally to firearms, and more particularly to firearm upper receivers with belt-feed capability.
Many firearms, such as assault rifles, that are commonly used in military situations are not designed by their manufacturer for use with belt-feed ammunition. Typically, such firearms are designed by their manufacturer for receiving ammunition from an ammunition magazine. The AR-15 family of firearms, including the M-16 type firearms, illustrate examples of assault rifles that are designed by their manufacturer to receive ammunition exclusively from an ammunition magazine. M-16 type firearms are a military version of the AR-15 family of firearms capable of operating in a fully automatic mode. M-16 type firearms have been manufactured by companies including, but not limited to Colt Manufacturing Company, the ArmaLite Division of Fairchild Aircraft and Engine Company, BushMaster Firearms Incorporated and Fabrique Nationale. A standard ammunition magazine for M-16 type firearms holds approximately 30 rounds of ammunition. The versatility of firearms that are intended for use in military situations and that are designed for receiving ammunition exclusively from an ammunition magazine is significantly limited.
Some firearms, such as M-16 type firearms, may be operated in a fully automatic mode. When being operated in the fully automatic mode, firing of a round of ammunition automatically facilitates ejection of each spent round from the firing chamber and chambering of a new round into the firing chamber. As long as the trigger of such as firearm is depressed, the firearm will continue to fire until all of the ammunition is depleted.
Due to the attainable firing rate of firearms operated in a fully automatic mode and the limited ammunition capacity of standard ammunition magazines, the use of ammunition magazines with such firearms results in a significant amount of down-time of the firearm for allowing a depleted magazine to be replaced with a full ammunition magazine. Most automatic firearms are capable of firing ammunition at a rate of 150 rounds or more per minute. At a firing rate of 150 rounds per minute, a 30 round ammunition magazine can be depleted of ammunition in as little as about 12 seconds of continuous firing.
In many situations, such as in military combat, a high-capacity ammunition delivery system such as a belt-feed system is preferred over an ammunition magazine. A typical ammunition belt for a belt-feed system holds 200 or more rounds of ammunition. At a firing rate of 150 rounds per minute, a 200 round ammunition belt can be depleted in as little as about 80 seconds. Accordingly, for a given firearm design, the minimum time to depletion of a 200 round ammunition belt is as much as about 7 times greater than that of a 30 round ammunition magazine. As a result of the increased time to depletion, belt-feed ammunition systems are preferred in many military situations.
Attempts have been made to increase the versatility of magazine-fed firearms by modifying them to accept belt-feed ammunition. The CAR-15 heavy assault rifle model M2, developed by Colt Manufacturing Company, illustrates an example of such a modified firearm. The ArmaLite Division of the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation also developed such a modified firearm for receiving magazine-fed and belt-feed ammunition.
To date, magazine-fed firearms that have been modified to accept belt-feed ammunition, including those discussed above, have required modification to an upper receiver assembly and a lower receiver assembly of the firearm. Facilitating modifications to the upper and to the lower receiver assemblies is costly. Furthermore, the lower receiver assembly of many firearms, such as M-16 type firearms, is the registerable portion of the firearm that carries a serial number for enabling compliance with registration requirements of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms. As a result of the lower receiver assembly being the portion of the firearm that is registerable, it can only be modified legally by a licensed firearm manufacturer.
The bolt carrier group of many automatic firearms, such as M-16 type firearms, are energized using pressure generated by the combustion of powder in a cartridge. Such firearms are considered to be gas energized. In such firearms, it is typical for combustion gas to be routed from the barrel to the receiver assembly that carries the bolt carrier group (referred to herein as the bolt-carrying receiver). In this manner, pressure associated with the combustion gas is used to supply the energy needed for facilitating ejection of a spent cartridge from the firing chamber and feeding of a new round of ammunition into the firing chamber. Accordingly, the bolt carrier groups of types of firearms are gas driven as well as gas energized.
The routing of the combustion gas to the bolt-carrying receiver results in several adverse situations. One adverse situation is that over time, deposits from the combustion gas are formed inside the bolt-carrying receiver. Such deposits adversely affect operation of the firearm and, in some cases, prevent its operation until the bolt-carrying receiver is cleaned. Another adverse situation is that the combustion gases are vented into the general area of an operator's face, impairing the operator's sight and respiration.
Accordingly, what is needed is a receiver assembly capable of reducing the shortcomings associated with conventional gas-driven automatic firearms that are manufacturer configured for receiving ammunition exclusively from an ammunition magazine.